Blood purification device

Abstract

Treatment of the blood by means of a blood purification device comprising packed, substantially spherical, smooth-surfaced, porous granules having at least 0.1 mu mole/m2 of the silanol group on the surface thereof, a blood inlet and a blood outlet scarcely causes decrease in leukocyte or platelet count or blood cell damage and can remove proteins from the blood by adsorption without high pressure loss.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A blood purification device which comprises an adsorbent layer of packed, substantially spherical, porous granules made of a material selected from the group consisting of porous glass, porous silica, and porous silica-alumina and having at least 0.1 μmole/m 2  of the silanol group on the surface thereof, a blood inlet and a blood outlet. 
     
     
       2. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the majority of the spherical porous granules has a diameter within the range of 0.1 mm to 5 mm. 
     
     
       3. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the majority of the spherical porous granules has a diameter within the range of 0.5 mm to 1 mm. 
     
     
       4. A blood purification device as claimed in any of claims 1-3, wherein the spherical porous granules have a pore volume within the range of 0.3 cc/g to 2.0 cc/g. 
     
     
       5. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spherical porous granules have a pore diameter within the range of 20 angstroms to 3,000 angstroms. 
     
     
       6. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ratio of the volume occupied by pores with diameters within the range of 0.8D-1.2D to the whole pore volume is at least 80%, D being the mean pore diameter. 
     
     
       7. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spherical porous granules are made of porous glass. 
     
     
       8. A blood purification device as claimed in any of claims 1-3, wherein the spherical porous granules have a pore diameter within the range of 20 angstroms to 3,000 angstroms. 
     
     
       9. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the ratio of the volume occupied by pores with diameters within the range of 0.8D-1.2D to the whole pore volume is at least 80%, D being the means pore diameter. 
     
     
       10. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spherical porous granules are made of porous glass. 
     
     
       11. A blood purification device as claimed in any of claims 1-3, wherein the ratio of the volume occupied by pores with diameters within the range of 0.8D-1.2D to the whole pore volume is at least 80%, D being the mean pore diameter. 
     
     
       12. A blood purification device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the spherical porous granules are made of porous glass. 
     
     
       13. A blood purification device as claimed in any of claims 1-3, wherein the spherical porous granules are made of porous glass.